New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-30
A STORY OF POLICE LIFE.
EX- SUPERINTENDENT WALLING'S BOOK.

LIVELY INCIDENTS AND STRONG vIEws-REcoLLEc-
TONS OF THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE ON
THE FORCE
George W. walling. the weknOwn Superintendent
OF Police OF this city, has before the public
author and in handsome volume OF some 900 pages,
entitled Recolecuons of NewYork Chief OF Police
he gives from the official records the history OF his
thrtyeght years experience as patroman, detective
Captain Inspector and Chief of Police in this CITY, Mr.
wang of this long record is probably the best
known police official in the country.
His narrative Is simple and direct In his introduce
ton, indeed Mr. Wang declares that no lurid pen is
needed for his purpose for fiction could be so rich
in sensational incident the true record OF the lives OF
great criminals" The work deals with all che important
criminal cases the period covered II is amply Illus
trated In the last chapter Mr.. Walllng draws some
conclusions showing his attempts TO stand against the
combination of politics and police, and how the result
disastrous to himself as he expresses it, He In
Weighs against the rule of rings and while he does not
believe In a monarchy he excaims: Let lis have one
King who is gentleman rather than twenty thousand
Kings who tOughs.'"
MIR. MAILING AS PATROLMAN.
The volume opens In point of time with the birth OF
the writer on May l, 1923, Mldotown township,
n. J., two miles nom Keyport Young Walling had
school education acted "a clerk In his fathers
store ana ten accompanied him to this city In the pur
chase goods. Young Walling to New-York about
~ - and sold market produce His attention had been
first directed toward police work by the murder OF the
notorious courtesan Helen Jewctt, it was alleged, by
Richard r. Robinson in 80. The accused man escaped
the galows Mr. waing thinks, through the bribery OF
one of the Jurors. Late in 1917 SIR Wang, having
| nothing particular to do, became Il policeman on
friends suggestions he made his first appearance for
duty IN the Third Ward He fell from at the stert
By going into coffee and cake saloon bitterly cold
night and finding the place filled with policemen
Even the scant there, and the pAtroman was
/ forgiven
In tie Astor-place riots, rising from the Forrest
Macrcady entan, clements, in 1919 Pdtroman walng
had the following personal experience after the first two
acts Of the play on the first night
In the upper galleries crowd OF disorderly
persons many Of whom knew Two OF me me, leaders III
They were yelling ana melting others to do the same.
went them With the intention Of ordering thein 70
eSG was about to throw at Mr. Macready who was
| then the stage. | caught hold OF It, AT the same
attacked me- and r5ugl and tumble fight ensued. Allen
managed to wrench the chair from my grasp and taking
feet Of him. bnt he never ilnehed He simply looked up
aud went on with his lines few moment. aierwapu
every window in the theatre This stopped The perform
| ance for that night
TILT WITH ISAIAH RYNDERs.
After the riots had been put down Chief Matsell
ordered Detective Waling to inquire into the causes He
traced them to niammatory handhills which had been
issued headquarters used by the Empire Club and
the Native American" party. The hanlDils were
traced 80 Further. Then the writer adds:
solae months afrar tae riot, while was standing in
mont OF Chief Matcs Office Isaiah Rynders along
Immediately began Il conversation ABOUT lhc hstol
place riot, and suddenly made this remark, i'll sharp
"rhe man who got up those handbill, ought to have
been shot. instead of 80 many innocent persons
Rynd,r- turned upon me, ana III an angry manner
said: Well maybe You ought to have been shot instead
Il haven't accused you of It yet Mr.. Rynders." re;
piled. Iut if the shoe hts you welcome to wear It.
Nv las. remark seemed to put Rynders III greater
passion He ripped out IN savage nnnner: .,u .,.,
II was big cdheaded lri'hmah OF ABOUT our SIZE
had no dircct evidence that Rynders had taken any
part in the distribution %, the bills but shall alway
believe that he OF those who inclicd the trouble
OF the assault on y. p. Willis by Edwin Forrest. in
Washington square in 1850, Mr. Walling writes after
saving that Forrest beat Willis numerically with a
gutta porcha cane:
After n few more blows, Forrest allowed Willis TO
make his escape badly bruised This encounter, have
every to know was an outcome OF the famous
Forrest divorce case
THE FIGHT OVER TIE POLICE TRANSFER
When Fernando wood Mayor the Legislature in
lsJ7 declaring that the city too corrupt TO govern
ITSELF the writer puts it, transferred the control OF
the police from the city to the State Immense excite
ncni followed. and Mayor Wood sided with the old mem
hcrs OF the Fifteen Captains and 700 or 500
policemen refused to obey the new Commissioners Mr.
Wallinc who was To arrest Mayor Wood. bearded
tho lion his dem only TO be elected One OF the Incl
den,s of the times is thus recorded:
While was waiting in the shcrirs Office was sur
prl,od To sre body Of fifty metropolitan policemen
marching from Chamhcrsst apparently under the com,
mand of Coroner Perry and Captain jacob searing OF
tie ninth ward. u. u. Conoycr., who claimed to be
street Commissioner, had obtained an ORDER OF arrest
AGAINST the Mayor and Sheriff from judge Hoffman, IN
the Office which he claimed As thc iatluDieh came up
The Steps collision. The place Was EdrrSoned
by some 500 800 Mlmicipas VINO attacked the ap-
nroaclus force ahOut one hllorn'h I'll ucit nusul
There was ercc battle between the pre>ervers 81 the
ruJ r,,r and terribly beaten Many were badly hurt.
| and few including iatroman Crolut or the seven
wounded carried over To Recorder smiths rooms
There doctors dressed their injuries. The affair was a
disgrace and d>honor 10 the Mayor anu from Ms rep
utatiuu never recovered.
Mayor wood submitted to arrest only after the eth
Regiment had drawn up in front Of the city Hall
Early In January l-GI, Mr. walling accompanied
Superintendent Kennedy 10 Washington for the purpose
of arranging for the protection OF President Lincoln on
hts way 20 the CAPITAL In Baltimore a less personally
bitter feeling against Mr.. Lincoln was found to exist
than New-Gork reports had Indicated, Mr.. Walins
states He returned here and sent Detectives Sampson
and Deyoe TO Baltimore look the ground They
were suspected however. went TO Washington and had
a narrow escape with their lives. Detective SIMPSONS
| report ends ~ follows:
In conclusion let say that ;he change made by Mr.
Lincoln date of his arriS ii ia Washington prior
In L taking the oath office. and his escape from in
shit were in no small measure due TO the unwcaricd
efforts Superintendent Kennedy and Captain NallinS
VIEWS Oh THE NATHAN MURDER MYSTERY.
Mr. Waling expresses the following opinion on tho
mystery of the Nathan murder which occurred in July,
! 1870:
NV own personal belief Is that William Kelly the son
of tie housckccpcr admitted confcdcraeS into the house
with of robbing the safe; that they succeeded IN
getting the key and opening &C. and IN doing 40 aroused
| Mir Nathan who engaged in struggle which ended IN
his death lie must have recognized young Kelly and
this made it necessary In order Ia insure the SaicS or
the party 10 close the old mans mouth forever Ihs
explains the many unnecessary blows inflicted on me
body Since the murder 1t has be- u shown that hriy
was the associate of thieves. and he mas never salts
factory explained his whereabouts on that e'ehtfui
night
The writer then makes the following startling state
ments and query about the murder:
Among those arrested or suspicion was George EMS;
burglar who brought down from sing SinS on me
regard To a man who lad been named by the police
~ having comntcd tho murder. Ellis was Kept under
uar m the sixth Precinct station for more than three
tnonths n man being detailed 10 watch him day ana
nirht one OF these men Detective Patrick Dolan,